


In These Arms, Part IV: S-Q-S

by mrpicard



Series: Star Trek: TNG - In These Arms [4]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: A visit from MOTHER, M/M, Omnipotent love, Q Continuum, Q in trouble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-02-25 14:43:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2625596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trouble really always comes in pairs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to have Q in this series AND I wanted to give Alexander more of a backstory. It all fell into place at some point while I was writing this part.
> 
> Also: ALL the credit for the Earl Grey lube idea goes to @TinyTNG on Twitter.

 

Picard closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace from behind. Alex was standing there, as naked as Picard was, his hands all over his lover's hairy chest.  
  
"Oooh," Picard breathed - this was too good.  
  
Alex smiled and began to kiss Picard's neck and shoulders. "Jean-Luc... you're..." He closed his hand around Picard's hardening cock and began to massage it. "So insanely.... attractive."  
  
"Alexander... oh... yes..."  
  
"I love it when you moan like this," Alex whispered and kissed Picard's ear.  
  
The captain shivered with barely concealed lust. "Why?"  
  
"Because it's so intimate - you allow no one else to be this close to you," Alex said softly and gently squeezed Picard's erection. "And you wouldn't let anyone else do this with you."  
  
"I... mmm... wouldn't _want_ anyone else to do this... oooh... with me," Picard moaned hoarsely.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that," Alex replied - and then he stepped even closer and slowly pushed his own erection between Picard's buttocks. "Would you like me to fuck you?" he whispered, his lips only inches from his lover's ear.  
  
"Wh-what?"  
  
"Would you like me to fuck you?" Alex repeated, his hand still stroking Picard's erection from which precum was already leaking.  
  
"I - I..." Picard gulped.  
  
Alex chuckled. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"  
  
"No, no... I'm... I'm just not used to... you know..."  
  
Alex' other hand gently moved over Picard's balls. "You mean no one has ever talked to you like this."  
  
"It's... more like... oooh... I've... never _let_ anyone... talk to me like this..."  
  
"But you enjoy it," Alex said matter-of-factly and drew his thumb over the tiny slit on the tip of Picard's cock.  
  
The captain gasped. "Yes... I do..."  
  
Alex moved his hips. "Then tell me... how would you like me to fuck you?"  
  
"Hard," Picard blurted out before he could stop himself from doing so.  
  
"Mmm, I like that suggestion," Alex remarked and briefly squeezed the tip of Picard's cock before he resumed his earlier movements.  
  
The captain whimpered helplessly – the whole thing had taken a rather unexpected turn and yet the road was... incredibly thrilling. He could feel the trust he had in Alex and part of him was almost scared of it, but another, much more insistent part of him was throbbing between his legs, begging for release.  
  
"And... when would you like me to fuck you?" Alex whispered in that seductive voice that made Picard shiver with anticipation.  
  
"Now," the captain croaked and bucked his hips in order to thrust deeper into his lover's tight grip.  
  
Alex chuckled, let go and stepped back, and Picard was just about to turn around and ask what was going on when he heard the familiar sounds of a lube bottle being opened, then overturned and then put on the shelf next to them. And then he also detected the familiar Earl Grey scent - ever since Alex had replicated this particular lube as a joke both of them - ironically - had come to appreciate it.  
  
"Bend over," Alex said and put a lubricated hand on Picard's right buttock.  
  
"Here? On my desk?!" Picard exclaimed, the realization of what Alex hand in mind slowly sinking into his lust-filled brain.  
  
"Yeah. Why not?"  
  
Yes, why not?  
  
Picard bent forward, spread his legs and put his hands on his large wooden desk. As soon as he had assumed that position, long and slim fingers slid between his buttocks, seeking the tiny hole, teasing it. Picard groaned loudly - the mere thought of being taken right here on his desk was incredibly erotic.  
  
Alex's lubricated fingers teased his lover's anus, and after what seemed like an eternity, one of them slowly, very slowly, found its way inside.  
  
"Alexander... yes... please... ooh..."  
  
"Do you want me to speed up the process?" Alex asked innocently.  
  
"Yes...!"  
  
The finger was pulled out and suddenly a thick and hard lubricated cock was pushed against Picard's anus - and remained there.  
  
The captain groaned in utter frustration. "Alexander...!"  
  
"I want to hear it from you," the young man whispered hoarsely and moved the tip of his cock over the tiny hole. "Tell me you want me to fuck you."  
  
Picard shivered, partly with anticipation and partly because of the embarrassment that he felt at his own excitement. "I... I... oooh..."  
  
"Say it," Alex demanded while he slowly, much too slowly, began to push his cock into his Picard's ass, leaving him even more frustrated.  
  
"Fuck me," Picard suddenly groaned, the sound of these particular words out of his own mouth both embarrassing and yet liberating.  
  
And then he no longer cared because Alex pushed his cock into his ass, filling him in one swift move. Picard threw his head back and Alex grabbed his shoulders and his fingers moved over the strong muscles there while his cock buried itself deeper in his lover's ass with each thrust.  
  
"Harder, please, Alexander," Picard heard himself groan and realized with growing surprise that he was no longer embarrassed about it - it was alright, it was perfect, it was Alex who heard it, after all, Alex was the man he loved, the only man he wanted to take him like this.  
  
Alex moaned softly at his lover's request and began to move faster and a lot more forcefully while Picard steadied himself even further, wiping a bunch of PADDs off the desk while he was doing so. Alex was now slamming into him, and the captain loved every second of it, he had forgotten how wonderful it felt to be taken like this when both parties were in the mood, it had been so long, and it was so liberating and so exciting and so incredibly intimate and so erotic and he wanted no one but Alex to do it –  
  
And then he suddenly no longer cared because he felt Alex' thrusts getting harder and harder and then the young man came inside him and Picard came as well, his cum squirting all over the desk and the carpet.

 

**********

 

"Hello."  
  
Alex almost dropped the bottle of (real) Aldebaran Whiskey that he had just been about to put away and whirled around. A human male in a Starfleet captain's uniform was sitting right in front of the bar – but it was not just _any_ male, it was someone whose face was very well known in… ah, basically everywhere.  
  
"Q."  
  
The entity made a face. "You've already heard of me. Too bad."  
  
"Well, you _do_ have quite a reputation."  
  
"I hope it's not a bad one?"  
  
"That depends on who you ask."

"Never mind." Q waved his hand. "Aren't you going to offer me a drink? Isn't that your job or something?"  
  
"I didn't think an omnipotent being _needed_ any drinks," Alex retorted.  
  
"We don't, but since my current form is human, I might just as well go along with it."  
  
"Very well... what will it be?"  
  
"A glass of water."

"Coming right up." Alex walked up to the replicator. "Water, cold."  
  
The replicator hummed to life, Alex took the glass that had materialized and then walked back to Q. "Here you go."  
  
"What, no little umbrella?"  
  
"Sorry. Only on ice cream."  
  
"Ice cream? I'll pass." Q took a large sip of water and then put the glass back on the bar. "So... _you're_ the one."  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Mmm?"

Q eyed him carefully. "You're Jean-Luc's... what do you call it? _Boy_ friend?"  
  
"We prefer the term partner," Alex said calmly, determined _not_ to let himself be dragged into an age gap discussion with an _ageless_ being.  
  
"Whatever. I didn't think he'd try it again with someone."

' _I'm getting tired of this shit_ ,' Alex thought and leaned forward. "Have you come for a specific reason or did you just feel the casual need to check out the competition?"  
  
Q's eyes widened. "Competition?"  
  
"Come on, I've seen the records of your previous appearances _\- and_ the way you look at Jean-Luc. You have a thing for him. And you don't like the idea of him being involved with someone."  
  
Q glared at him. "You're putting far too much importance on yourself... _and_ on Jean-Luc, of course."  
  
"Really," Alex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Then why is it that you love to interfere with his life so much? I mean compared to you, he's barely even an ameba. Oh. Sorry. I forgot. A very _attractive_ ameba."  
  
"You've got a lot of nerves, talking to me in this manner!" Q exclaimed. "I could kill you with a mere thought!"

"But you won't."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Your fellow Q in the Continuum don't like it when you kill random mortal beings, now do they?"  
  
Q frowned. "They don't like a _lot_ of things."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
The entity stood up from his chair. "None of your concern for now."  
  
"You're leaving already?"  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be back." Q snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash of light.


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

"Guess who visited me in Eleven Forward this afternoon?" Alex said, handed Picard a cup of Earl Grey and then sat down next to him on the couch.  
  
"Thank you." Picard took a sip of tea. "Who visited you?"  
  
"Q."  
  
Picard almost spat out his tea. "What?! Why didn't you call me?!"  
  
"It wasn't necessary. He appeared, we talked for a bit and then he vanished again. There was nothing to it."  
  
"There's _always_ something to it when Q appears," Picard said grumpily. "What exactly did he want from you?"  
  
"I got the impression that he simply wanted to check me out - because you and I are lovers and all. He doesn't seem to like the idea of you being involved with someone."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm serious. Don't tell me that you've never noticed that he has a thing for you."  
  
"He most certainly has _not_."  
  
"Of course he does. I can spot another gay man from miles away."  
  
"He's not a man."  
  
"But gay."  
  
Picard sighed. "Alright, I cannot argue _that_ point. Still, all he wants from me is to _torment_ me."  
  
"I doubt that. And certainly not this time." Alex took a sip from his mint tea. "He seemed a bit troubled, in fact - and I have a feeling that the reason for that wasn't just my presence in your life."  
  
"Did he say he would come back?"  
  
"He strongly hinted at it."  
  
Picard sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

 

**********

 

Alex put his feet up and switched on the huge monitor in his quarters. He had just had a rather exhausting morning shift in Eleven Forward and all he wanted was to -  
  
The computer chirped. " _Burke to Alex._ "  
  
Alex frowned. "Colin? What is it?"  
  
" _There's an incoming subspace communication for you. Marked high priority. Personal. Starfleet frequency._ "  
  
"Huh? Starfleet? For me?" Alex took his feet off the desk. "Put it through to my quarters, okay?"  
  
" _Sure thing._ "  
  
A few seconds later the small console on the desk in front of Alex came to life – and showed a rather unexpected face.  
  
"Mother?!"

" _Hello, Alexander. I'm glad you at least remember who I am._ " She glared at him. " _Now, don't bother telling me that it's only been a few months since you've left Earth. You didn't send even **one** letter - it really seemed like as if you'd forgotten that your grandmother and I even **exist**._ "  
  
"I... I was busy."  
  
" _With that new lover of yours, no doubt? Captain Picard, isn't it?_ "  
  
He gaped at her. "You know?"  
  
" _Of course I know, what do **you** think? Can you imagine how I felt when I learned of this through village gossip and not you?!_ "  
  
"It's a personal matter."

" _You're dating one of the most famous captains in Starfleet and you're telling me it's a **personal matter**? And besides - I'm your mother, your personal matters are mine as well! First you throw away a promising university career and become a bartender, then you leave Earth to travel through space on that flying death trap - and now you're dating the captain of that death trap! What's next?_ "  
  
Alex gritted his teeth. "The Enterprise is not a flying death trap. She's the flagship of the Federation."  
  
" _I don't care if it's the flagship or a Ferengi cargo vessel - it flies through space and space is hostile. What if you run into the Borg?_ "  
  
"Captain Picard is the most qualified person in all of Starfleet to handle the Borg," Alex said and leaned forward. "Now, if all you're going to do is yell at me – over a Starfleet frequency, of all things - I'll just close the channel."

" _You wouldn't dare! Because I actually have a surprise for you._ " She smiled triumphantly. " _The reason why I'm calling you over a Starfleet frequency is that I'm not on Earth. I'm on a transport ship, we're going to rendezvous with the Enterprise in exactly one hour._ "  
  
Alex' jaw dropped. "You left Earth?"  
  
" _To see you and talk some sense into you, yes! And while I'm at it - you can also tell your precious Captain Picard that I want to have a serious talk with him!_ "  
  
With that, the screen went black.  
  
Alex leaned back, closed his eyes and ran his hands across his face. "Oh, fuck."

 

**********

 

"Your mother?" Picard echoed.  
  
"Yes. She'll be here in about 30 minutes."  
  
"We _are_ scheduled to meet with a transport ship but it's actually supposed to bring supplies." Picard tapped the small console on his ready room desk. "I wasn't informed about any civilians aboard."  
  
"That doesn't surprise me," Alex said. "My mother tends to deliberately overlook rules and regulations."  
  
Picard could not help but smile. "Sounds a lot like her son, actually."  
  
"Maybe, but she's a real pain in the -"  
  
"From what you've told me, she seems to be simply concerned about you," Picard interrupted quickly. "Try to view things from her perspective - you're her only son and you have chosen a dangerous life aboard a starship, and, on top of that, you're involved with the man who commands that very ship."  
  
"Don't tell me that you _agree_ with her...?!"

"I don't. But you told me that she has never left Earth before. She did so now because she is obviously very worried about you."  
  
"There's no need to be worried. I'm capable of living my own life, thank you very much."  
  
"You can't understand this kind of worry - you've never been a parent."  
  
Alex frowned. " _You_ allowed Batai and Meribor to do whatever they wanted to do."  
  
"Yes, but we did have our fair share of arguments, especially Batai and I. We disagreed on a regular basis."  
  
"Still, I don't like how my mother automatically assumes that I'm incapable of figuring out what's best for myself."  
  
"I don't think she assumes that. She's simply raising concerns that a lot of parents would raise in her position." Picard rubbed his chin. "Don't take this the wrong way now, Alexander - but it sounds like as if the problems between you two run a lot deeper than just this one argument."

Alex sighed. "You're right. They do."  
  
"Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
"Not now, you're on duty."  
  
Picard waved his hand. "I'm not _that_ busy."  
  
"Really, not now. I'm actually sorry I marched into your ready room the way I did."  
  
"It's perfectly alright. But... maybe you're right. Now is really not the best time to talk - I _do_ need to find out just _how_ your mother managed to arrange for this visit without my knowledge."

"And I should go and get a mild sedative for myself before I greet her in the transporter room."

Picard chuckled. "That bad?"

"No. _Worse_."


	3. Chapter 3

 

Alex walked into the transporter room with a look of utter helplessness on his face. He still had no idea how to handle the rather unnerving situation. It was downright ridiculous - he could handle Klingons, Romulans and even Sheliak without getting upset, but when it came to his mother his composure somehow just went right out of the airlock.  
  
"Hey, Alex," the transporter chief greeted him. "Your mother's ready to be beamed aboard."  
  
"I figured as much. She's _never_ late," Alex sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with."  
  
The transporter came to life with the usual familiar humming sound and a few moments later Alex' mother was standing on the pad.  
  
"That was all?" she exclaimed. "These transporters sure are efficient these days!" She stepped off the platform, walked up to her son and then stopped right in front of him. "Let me look at you." She did so - from top to bottom - and then raised her index finger. "You've gained a little weight. Must be all those chocolate ice cream sundaes in your bar."

"Mother, I _serve_ ice cream sundaes. I generally don't eat them myself."  
  
"Yes, yes." She looked around. "Where is he?"  
  
"Where is who?"  
  
"Your captain. I thought he'd be here along with you to greet me. It would be the polite thing to do, you know."  
  
"He's on duty."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "He can't even spare five minutes?"  
  
"No, he can't. This is a starship with rules and regulations - which you conveniently ignored when you arranged for this little transport of yours, by the way."  
  
"Rules, rules, rules. That's all these Starfleet people care about. Ah, well. I'm sure there will be plenty of other opportunities for me to meet your captain."

"How long are planning on staying?" Alex asked, alarmed.  
  
"The Enterprise is going to meet another transport ship in three days. It will take me back to Earth." She frowned. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Just curious," Alex assured her quickly.  
  
"You want to get rid of me already," she complained.  
  
"No, Mother. Of course not." Alex pointed towards the door. "I'm gonna take you to your quarters now if that's alright with you?"  
  
"I thought you could show me your workplace first? I really want to see it... umm, what is it called again?"  
  
"Eleven Forward." Alex took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll take you there."

 

**********

 

"What a horrible day," Alex groaned and slumped onto Picard's couch.  
  
"I agree with you," Picard muttered and turned towards the replicator. "Tea, Earl Grey, hot - and a cup of mint tea, hot." He waited for the beverages to materialize, then took the two cups from the replicator, walked to the couch, placed the cups on the small couch table and sat down.  
  
"What did you have to deal with?" Alex asked and began to slowly massage his temples.  
  
Picard took his teacup and leaned back on the couch. "I had quite a few unpleasant conversations with engineering today. Artificial gravity in the main cargo bay is still acting up."

"Isn't taking care of this kind of thing more Martin's job than yours?"  
  
"It is," Picard confirmed and took a sip from his tea. "But sometimes I prefer to handle these issues myself. – Anyway, I'm sure your day was a _lot_ more unnerving. I heard about your mother and the tour she asked for."

Alex sighed. "Oh yeah. First she said she wanted to see my workplace, so, being the nice son that I am, I brought her to Eleven Forward. After a bit of complaining about how 'old-fashioned' it looks with 'all the wood', she asked to see one of the starboard observation lounges. I took her there - and she complained about feeling dizzy with all the stars outside. Then she said she'd heard of the library and wanted to see it. I took her there - and she complained about the silence. After that I finally managed to convince her to go to her quarters. I left her there, went to Eleven Forward and had a horrible shift because I kept staring at the door, thinking she'd come in any second."  
  
"But she didn't."  
  
"Nope." Alex leaned back on the couch. "That doesn't mean much, though. She might be looking for me right now because she no doubt knows that my shift ended half an hour ago. And this time she won't be looking just for _me_ \- she really wants to see _you_ as well."  
  
"You can't blame her for that – she's curious."  
  
"I know. But that definitely isn't all." Alex leaned forward and took a sip from his mint tea. "You don't know what you'll be getting yourself into."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"For one thing, she'll tell you all about how wrong our relationship is and how I should look for a man my age. Or, even better, a _woman_ my age."  
  
"These issues are none of her concern."

"Tell _her_ that," Alex snorted. "She thinks my life is one _big_ concern of hers."  
  
"Has she always been this attached to you? I must admit I hardly know anything about her or the rest of your family..."  
  
"I know. It's all my fault and I'm sorry that I never really went into this - especially since you've told me so much about the famous Picards."  
  
"It's perhaps my fault as well, at least partly. I always had the feeling that your family was an unpleasant subject for you, so, I never asked."  
  
"It _is_ an unpleasant subject," Alex confirmed and leaned back again. "Anyway, my mother says I'm the one good thing that happened to her in her life and that she has to 'look after' me, as she puts it."

"What about your father?"  
  
"I have nothing to say in that area."  
  
Picard briefly put his hand on his lover's. "I'm sorry..."  
  
Alex waved his hand. "No, it's fine. I actually meant this literally; I hardly know anything about him. He abandoned my mother before I was even born. I guess it's only natural that she clung to me the way she did - and still does."  
  
"Is there no other family?"

"Not really. Like me, my mother is an only child - my grandparents live on Mars because my grandfather prefers it over Earth. It broke my mother's heart when she had to face the fact that I wouldn't become the professor she had always wanted me to become. She kept nagging at me about it for months. I moved away to Hamburg at some point, but she kept calling me and telling me about openings at this and that uni and why did I not come back and reconsider and what was I thinking and so on. It was... well, dreadful."  
  
"And now you're completely out of her reach most of the time because you're running a bar on a starship."  
  
"All her nightmares in one sentence."  
  
"She should be proud of you. The flagship bar cannot be run by just _any_ bartender."  
  
Alex shrugged. "She has gotten somewhat used to me being a bartender these days but the fact that I'm dating _you_ seems to send her right back into Nightmare Town."  
  
"Because she wants you to look for a woman to be with...?"  
  
"That certainly plays into it, yes. I know that she wants to have grandchildren. She refuses to 'give up hope', as she puts it."  
  
"You never have? Looked for a woman, I mean."  
  
"I've never been attracted to women in _that_ way," Alex said. "I've always liked only men. Well, sort of."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I haven't had many relationships before this one. As surprising as it might sound, a bartender's life is actually a very lonely one."  
  
"The same is true for the life of a starship captain," Picard remarked.  
  
"Guess we have something else in common there, huh?" Alex yawned. "Sorry, I'm kinda... tired..."  
  
"You could stay here tonight," Picard offered. "For one thing, you'll be safe from your mother."  
  
"You _really_ don't know her. If she wants to find me, she will."  
  
"Then I guess I'd better ask Commander Burke to post a security guard outside," Picard said calmly.  
  
Alex gaped at him.  
  
Picard grinned. "I was joking."  
  
Alex laughed and gently slapped his lover's arm. "Don't _do_ that!"  
  
"It made you laugh. You needed to."  
  
"Thanks, Jean-Luc."

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

Warm water was pouring down on the two men standing in Picard's shower, holding each other. Both were panting quite heavily – neither of them had expected the sudden rush of desire that had overwhelmed them after getting up, and yet it had seemed so _right_ to step in the shower together, select the old-fashioned water option and then...  
  
Alex slowly raised his head and looked into Picard's eyes.  
  
"That was amazing," he said, his voice still a bit shaky.  
  
The captain smiled. "I agree."  
  
"I hope we aren't using up all the water."  
  
"I don't think so. Even if - it's not the first time someone decides to take a long water shower. Geordi knows how to deal with this problem."  
  
"Isn't it wonderful to have such a resourceful chief engineer?"  
  
"It is. Although I must add that he still hasn't solved that artificial gravity issue in the main cargo bay that I was telling you about yesterday."  
  
"Oh, come on. Knowing him, he probably stayed up all night to do just that."  
  
"You're right, of course." Picard gently stroked Alex' arm. "Water supply or not, however - we _will_ have to get out of here at some point."  
  
Alex made a face. "Must we? It's so comfortable..."  
  
"I'm afraid so. My shift starts in about an hour - as does yours, if I remember correctly."  
  
Alex sighed. "You do."

 

**********

 

"What were you two doing in there? I thought you'd _never_ come out."  
  
Picard froze in horror when he heard the familiar voice from the couch. "Q."  
  
"At your service." The entity stretched out his long, seemingly human legs. "Now, you haven't answered my question: What _were_ you doing in there?"  
  
"Nothing that concerns _you._ "  
  
"Temper, temper, mon capitaine." Q leaned back. "You know, once, just once, I want to arrive on this ship and have you say 'Oh, hello Q, nice to meet you, how have you been?'"  
  
Picard simply glared at him.  
  
Q threw his hands up. "Okay, not this time."  
  
"Get to it, Q," Picard snapped. "What do you want?"  
  
Q pointed at Picard's armchair. "Sit down."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"I need to talk to you."  
  
"I can talk from here," Picard said stubbornly.  
  
"Oh please, Jean-Luc. Don't be so difficult. Besides, you know as well as I do that I won't leave before you haven't listened to me."  
  
"He _does_ have a point there," Alex remarked.  
  
Q smiled at him. "Thank you. _You_ can come, too."  
  
"Oh, how nice." Alex looked at Picard. "Come on, let's get this over with."  
  
Picard harrumphed - but then he slowly walked up to the couch and sat down on his armchair while Alex slumped onto the couch next to Q.  
  
"You really have someone here, Jean-Luc," the entity remarked. " _You_ would never sit down next to me."  
  
"Q!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just tell me what it is that you want and then leave!"

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple this time," Q said and folded his arms across the chest. "Because... I need your help."  
  
"My help?" Picard echoed, a look of utter disbelief on his face.  
  
"I'm as uncomfortable about this as you are," Q retorted. "Still, hear me out first, okay?"  
  
Picard glared at him but said nothing.  
  
"A few of your weeks ago, a rather insignificant species called the Hassavuth was wiped out. A thorough job, not even one of them left alive. No reason, no explanation, nothing. They were simply erased from existence, as if they had never been there. The Continuum investigated - you can't just let these things happen, they _really_ upset the galactic balance - and found out what happened: A Q did it. And the Q they accuse of this crime is _me_."  
  
"You?"  
  
"I assure you I had nothing whatsoever to do with this unfortunate event."  
  
Picard raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Come on, Jean-Luc - do you really think I'd wipe out an entire species just like that?"  
  
"Maybe?"  
  
Q stared at him.  
  
"Alright, maybe _not_ just like that."  
  
" _Definitely_ not," Q barked. "I may be a little overly enthusiastic sometimes but wiping out a species just because I can is _not_ my style!"  
  
"Very well, let's assume that all this is true - what is it that you need _me_ for?" Picard asked cautiously.  
  
"I need someone to speak for me at my trial tomorrow - someone who will explain to them that I'm not the kind of Q who resorts to such actions. I thought you could give one of these wonderful courtroom speeches of yours."  
  
"Q, this is rather unexpected -"  
  
"You won't have to prepare anything. Just speak on my behalf - explain to the Continuum that I'm a nice guy, your favorite alien entity and true friend."  
  
"I wouldn't go _that_ far," Picard remarked sarcastically.  
  
The look on Q's face suddenly became serious. "Please, mon capitaine, this isn't a joke. I _really_ need your help."  
  
"Q, even if I wanted to, the Enterprise is -"  
  
"Your current mission won't be affected by this. You will be returned to the very second in which you left."  
  
Picard sighed deeply. "I still don't think it's a good idea to -"  
  
"I don't believe it!" Q exclaimed. "What more am I going to have to do here? Beg you on my knees?"  
  
"Why don't you just make him think that he wants to come to the trial?" Alex asked. "You _are_ omnipotent, right?"  
  
"Do you think I would humiliate myself in this manner if I were allowed to manipulate his mind in any way?" Q snapped. "He has to come willingly or not at all - Q Continuum trial rules."  
  
"Alright, Q," Picard interrupted. "I'll come. But only under _one_ condition."  
  
"Name it."  
  
" _No_ unpleasant surprises."  
  
"Believe me, mon capitaine, if there are going to be unpleasant surprises, it will not be _you_ who'll experience them." Q stood up. "Until tomorrow, then. Someone will be here to pick you up at 0900 hours your time. Make sure you aren't... err... taking another shower then."  
  
With that, he was gone.  
  
Picard and Alex looked at one another.  
  
"Did you see the look on his face when he mentioned the trial?" the captain asked slowly.  
  
Alex nodded. "Yes. He was terrified."  
  
"I've never seen him like this. He acted like as if the Continuum was about to put the weight of the entire universe on his shoulders."  
  
"Given the nature of the Q, they probably are about to do _just_ that." Alex leaned back on the couch. "I guess Q and I have quite a few things in common at this point when it comes to people who give us a hard time."  
  
"Your mother."  
  
"My mother."  
  
Picard sighed. "Why does trouble always seem to come in pairs?"

 

*********

 

"Where were you last night, Alexander? You weren't here, and you weren't in your quarters either."  
  
Alex sighed at the familiar sound of the voice that had come from behind him and then slowly turned around to face his visitor across the bar. "Good morning, Mother."  
  
"Don't try to change the subject, young man. I looked for you all over the ship!"  
  
Alex doubted that very much but he had learned  - the hard way - not to say anything to aggravate his mother even further when she was in this particular mood. "I was with the captain."  
  
"And you didn't find it necessary to invite me, too?"  
  
"We both had just had a long and difficult day. We simply wanted to relax."  
  
"And you can't do that when I'm there," she concluded. "I see."  
  
"Mother, please."  
  
She sighed and sat down on one of the chairs in front of the bar. "I just want for us to spend as much time together as possible while I'm here. And I finally want to meet your captain. Why can't you understand that?"  
  
"I understand that perfectly," Alex said and handed a glass of water to one of his waiters. "It's just that you dropped in rather unannounced yesterday. And the captain really is a busy man. He often has errands that go beyond his bridge duty. It's difficult sometimes for the two of us to match our schedules, and -"  
  
"You mean he won't even take the necessary time to see you?" his mother asked sharply.  
  
"I didn't say that, and it isn't like that. Stop making him look like Mister Evil."  
  
"I just don't want for you to put false hope into this whole thing! Starship captains are married to their ships - they are the _only_ things that matter to them!"  
  
Alex gritted his teeth. "For what it's worth - I understand that the Enterprise is more important to him than anything else. Our relationship wouldn't work if I wasn't perfectly fine with that fact."  
  
"But you always come in second place!"  
  
"I'm in first place when it comes to _personal_ matters. And besides, the Enterprise was in his life _way_ before I showed up. I'd _definitely_ say that she has the older rights."  
  
"You say that now, but what happens in a few months? Years?"  
  
“We haven't thought that far ahead yet. We haven't been together long enough to make any plans."  
  
"You have been together for quite a while, son. And yet you still haven't even managed to move in together."  
  
"We both don't want to do that at this point. We value our independence too much for now."  
  
"Then why are you together in the first place?"  
  
Alex slammed his fist on the bar, so hard that a few customers actually looked up. "Look, Mother, I've tried to be polite and I've tried to be patient - but if you don't stop badmouthing my relationship _right now_ I'll call security and have you thrown out of here."  
  
"You wouldn't dare."  
  
"I would."  
  
His mother stood up from her chair. "Very well, have it your way - I can see that a rational discussion is quite impossible at this point." She turned around and marched out of Eleven Forward without looking back.


	5. Chapter 5

Picard looked at the small chronometer on his ready room desk console and rubbed his hands when he realized that it showed 08:59. Part of him still wanted to believe that Q was only playing one of his elaborate games and that nothing would happen. However, the fact that -  
  
"Captain Picard?"  
  
He whirled around and found himself face to face with a black-haired man in a black uniform who was simply standing there, unmoving, hands behind his back.  
  
"Yes?" Picard asked cautiously - the mere look on the man's face told him that _this_ member of the Q Continuum was _not_ to be fooled with.

"I'm here to pick you up for the trial," the stranger said without introducing himself. "If you're ready."  
  
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"  
  
"No, you don't - because you agreed to speak on behalf of the accused," the man replied matter-of-factly.  
  
A bright flash - and Picard found himself standing in a huge courtroom with benches left and right on which seemingly human spectators had been seated, all of them wearing somewhat old-fashioned suits. In front of him was a huge raised desk behind which a man with a white wig on his head was sitting. He glanced at Picard with nothing but utter contempt, let out a deep sigh and then went back to sorting through various old-fashioned papers in front of him, but Picard quickly noticed that he wasn't actually _reading_ what was on the papers, in fact, he seemed to be intent on appearing to be busy in order to hide his true state of mind.  
  
' _He actually looks nervous_ ,' Picard thought with growing unease; a nervous Q usually took things to a whole new extreme in all possible ways.

Speaking of who - the only Q Picard knew was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Where's Q?" he asked the man in the black uniform who was still standing next to him.  
  
"He's in his cell, where he belongs. It's not necessary for him to be here," the man answered and then stepped forward. "Your Honor, here is the last speaker for today - Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a human male."  
  
"Very well," the judge said, put down the papers and then looked directly at Picard. "You are acquainted with the accused?"  
  
"I am, Your Honor."

"You are here to speak on his behalf. Why?"  
  
"He asked me to."  
  
"Why did he do that?"  
  
"Well, according to his own words, he... he... considers me to be the closest thing he has to a friend."  
  
"Then why has he tormented you and your ship on numerous occasions? We have all his actions on record."  
  
"He seems to think of it as a sign of affection," Picard explained. "He claims that he is fascinated by humanity."  
  
"We know _all_ about his fascination with lower life forms," the judge huffed, a disgusted look on his face. "Tell me, has he ever spoken to you about the Hassavuth?"  
  
"No, never."

"Isn't it true that he has a habit of boasting about things he did to other life forms? Why would he hide this one unless he did something so terrible that it must not be spo-"  
  
"Wait," Picard interrupted. "Q and I are only loose acquaintances. It would be impossible for us to discuss _all_ his encounters with other species."  
  
"The fact remains that he has never mentioned them to you," the judge said stubbornly, his face slowly reddening. "One can read this either way."  
  
"Your Honor, I strongly -"  
  
"Silence!" the judge barked. "I will _not_ have you disrupt this hearing!"  
  
"That was not my intention, Your Honor."

"It doesn't matter what your intentions are," the judge snapped. "I have only one more question anyway."  
  
Picard opened his mouth in order to protest, but then he realized that it would be futile - he had witnessed this kind of hearing more than once.  
  
' _They have already made up their minds. To them, Q is guilty._ '

The judge picked up one of the papers in front of him. "The accused has gone on record for being responsible for your species' much-too-early encounter with the Borg. He deliberately arranged for it simply because he was angry that you wouldn't let him join your crew. His interference resulted in the death of 18 beings and later in about 11,000 more deaths at what you call Wolf 359." He looked up. "This clearly proves that the accused is not above hurting lower life forms purely out of selfish motives."  
  
"I am aware of how this whole thing looks, but..." Picard paused briefly before he continued, "I have come to believe that Q did what he did to _help_ us."  
  
The judge gaped at him. " _Help_ you?"  
  
"Yes. Q showed us that we were not ready for the Borg. He forced us to face our own arrogance and to re-examine our misguided belief that we could deal with anything the galaxy has in store for us. He wanted to _help_ humanity, not _destroy_ it."  
  
"Does this also mean that you do not blame him for your assimilation?" the judge asked bluntly.

Picard winced slightly but managed to remain calm otherwise. "No, I don't. In fact, I never _have_ blamed him for this. I was a victim of the Borg, not Q. And if I hadn't had access to the Collective through Locutus, the Enterprise would not have been able to stop that Borg Cube from assimilating Earth."  
  
The spectators on the benches suddenly began to whisper among themselves. The judge glared at them (which made them stop talking immediately) and then looked back at Picard. "So you maintain that the accused is a benevolent and helpful being."

"He might not appear to be one at first glance, and I _do_ admit that his methods leave a lot to be desired, but... yes, he _has_ proven helpful to humanity. In the long run."  
  
"Thank you," the judge growled. "That will be all."  
  
Picard once more opened his mouth in order to protest - but before he could say anything a bright flash caught him and he was back in his ready room.  
  
The chronometer on his desk console jumped to 09:00.


	6. Chapter 6

 

"Captain?"  
  
Picard turned around and looked at the short-haired woman in front of him. "Yes...?"  
  
"I'm glad I finally ran into you. I'm Alexander's mother."  
  
' _Not now_ ,' Picard thought - the last thing he needed was additional trouble. The strange courtroom scene was still weighing heavily on his mind; things had gone as wrong as they possibly could have and even though he knew there was nothing he could do for Q at this point, he still found himself rather concerned about the entity's fate.  
  
He took the woman's extended hand and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Madam."  
  
"I'm not sure if the pleasure is mutual," she replied bluntly. "Do you have a few minutes?"  
  
"Actually, I was just on my way to engineering in order to -"  
  
"Is there a place for us to talk in private?" she asked, ignoring his answer completely. "I don't want to discuss things here in the hallway."  
  
Picard sighed inwardly. "Alright. If you'll follow me, please."

 

**********

 

"Captain, I only want what's best for my son," Alex' mother said and turned away from the window through which she had just briefly looked at the stars outside.  
  
"As do I."  
  
"I'm not so sure about that. You starship captains have a certain reputation when it comes to taking relationships seriously."  
  
"I will admit - quite readily - that there _are_ some of us who _do_ act like this, but I must also add that _I_ do not."  
  
"So I've heard, yes." She eyed him carefully. "That's why I'm trying to figure out what it is that you _really_ want from Alexander."  
  
"I don't have any underlying motives," Picard said, feeling more uncomfortable with each passing second – he was not used to this kind of situation.  
  
"You're a 77 year old Starfleet captain, you can't tell me that a 31 year old bartender is the kind of man you're looking for when it comes to a serious intimate relationship."  
  
Picard frowned. "With all due respect, Madam, I honestly don't think this is any of your concern."  
  
"Anything that has to do with Alexander is _very much_ my concern," she remarked icily.  
  
"Mine as well," Picard retorted. "He's a wonderful young man, and the last thing I want is for him to get hurt."  
  
"Are you implying that I'm hurting him?"  
  
"No, but he is very distressed by your continuous attempts at trying to interfere with his life. He's certainly old enough to make his own decisions, and -"  
  
"I don't expect you to understand this," she snapped. "You're not a parent."  
  
"Maybe not at this point, but I _have_ raised two children, I _do_ know what is involved," Picard shot back. "And I also know that I would never have tried to interfere with their choices when it comes to intimate relationships."  
  
"I'm not interfering, I'm just trying to prevent him from getting too attached to a man who will leave him anyway in the end."  
  
Picard sighed. "Let's... resolve this dispute in a calm and rational manner, shall we?"  
  
"Oh, don't start that whole starship captain diplomacy speech on me. It won't work." She leaned forward and put her hands on the table. "I'm only going to tell you this once: Leave my son alone!"  
  
With that, she turned and marched out of the lounge without another word.

**********

 

"She walked out on you?" Alex asked, horrified.  
  
"She did."  
  
"Oh God. I'm so sorry..."  
  
Picard waved his hand. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."  
  
Alex leaned against the desk. "If it's any comfort, she did the same thing to me this morning in Eleven Forward. I have no idea why she's acting like this - she _can_ be a pain, yes, but it has never been _this_ bad."  
  
"Hmm. To me it seems like as if the problem is rooted far more deeply than we both assumed it to be."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I don't think she's bothered by the two of _us_ specifically - I got the impression that she has a prejudiced attitude towards starship captains in general," Picard said. "What do you know about her past?"  
  
"Not much. She has a rather annoying habit of steering away from the topic at hand when it comes to what she did before I was born."  
  
"Then her past might be part of - or even the whole _reason_ \- for the problem."  
  
"Hmm... yeah. That makes sense. You know, I could send a message to my grandmother. If there's anyone who can tell us more, it's her."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea." Picard rubbed his forehead. "If only every issue could be approached as logically as this one..."

"You're still worried about Q."  
  
"I am _concerned_."  
  
"You think they're going to put him behind bars?"  
  
"They already have," a voice suddenly said from behind.  
  
Both Picard and Alex whirled around and the young man who was sitting on the couch raised his hand. "Hi."  
  
"Who are you?" Picard demanded.  
  
"Didn't Aunt Kathy tell you about me?"  
  
"I know who you are," Alex chimed in. "You're Q Junior - Q's son."  
  
"What do you want?" Picard asked.  
  
"Your help."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"Yes - again," the young man echoed, the look on his face unusually serious, at least for a Q. "My father is in prison because of crimes he never committed."

Picard frowned. "More than one crime?"

"It's a long list." Q Junior leaned forward. "There had been some unrest in the Q Continuum for quite a while even before his trial because someone's been going around misplacing suns, re-arranging solar systems, wrecking havoc with asteroids, gravity aboard starships and so on - all of it on a level that goes way beyond that which can be excused by a Q having a bad day."  
  
"And they think your father did all that?"  
  
"Yes. And when they heard of the Hassavuth incident, they simply added it to that already rather long list of charges. A genocidal crime finally gave them enough reason to bring him to trial and convict him."  
  
"Surely they must have investigated all this before they accused him...?"  
  
"No, they didn't. They're convinced that they know everything already anyway."  
  
"How can they not know who really did all these things?" Alex asked. "They're omnipotent."  
  
"You don't understand. They _think_ they know - because one of us is playing them for a fool."  
  
"Does that mean one Q has greater powers then all the others?" Picard asked, confused.  
  
"No, it simply means that one Q is shielding the truth from the rest and since they're too lazy to investigate the false truth they're being presented with they aren't looking hard enough to find out what _really_ happened."  
  
Picard leaned against the couch. "Forgive me for asking this, Q Junior, but... what can _I_ do here?"  
  
"You need to investigate."  
  
" _What_?!"

"You heard me."

"You _can't_ be serious," Picard exclaimed. "I can't investigate the Q Continuum!"

"No one's asking you to do that. It's far more simple because whoever committed that Hassavuth genocide was not very careful to cover it up. You have to go to their planet and look for evidence. It _will_ be there in _some_ form, I guarantee you that."  
  
"If it's so easy - why don't _you_ do it?" Alex asked.  
  
"I can't interfere. They won't listen to me or your captain here if I do. It will all be dismissed as biased because it's my father who's in prison."  
  
"They won't listen to just me either," Picard objected.  
  
"They will - because Q trial rules _force_ them to listen to uninfluenced mortal beings. They had to listen to your statement before as well, after all."  
  
"And look how _that_ one turned out," Picard muttered.  
  
"It wasn't _your_ fault. They had already made up their minds. Also, there was no evidence. You will bring that the next time you face them."  
  
Picard folded his arms across the chest. "Even if I agreed to do this - I can't just take the Enterprise and go on a wild goose chase for Q. Starfleet would never approve."  
  
"You wouldn't refuse to help if you knew what it's like in a Q prison," Q Junior said, stood up and slowly walked up to Picard. "Time as you know it has no meaning there. My father is alone, _has_ been alone for eons already, and _will_ be alone for millions of eons to come. He's drifting towards insanity while his mind is being torn apart by nothingness.  You _have_ to help him. You're his _last_ hope." He put his hands on Picard's shoulders and the captain was shocked to actually see tears forming in the young Q's eyes. " _Please_."  
  
Picard glanced over to Alex, who returned his gaze but didn't have to say anything - it was clear what he was thinking anyway.

The captain sighed deeply and then looked back at Q Junior. "Tell me where I can find that planet."

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

"Captain's Log, supplemental. After a long conversation with Q Junior I have - _reluctantly_ -agreed to take the Enterprise on an unscheduled visit to the home planet of the Hassavuth, a species wiped out by an unknown force not long ago. I am well aware of the fact that Starfleet will not approve of this course of action, but I cannot stand by and watch Q being condemned to an eternal life in complete isolation on the basis of nothing more than what appears to be omnipotent hearsay. To turn my back on this would violate the very essence of the oath I once swore."  
  
Picard waited for the computer to automatically end the log entry and then leaned back in his chair.  
  
" _Madden to Picard._ "  
  
He froze. "Yes, Commander?"  
  
" _We've reached the coordinates Q Junior gave you, Captain. We're approaching the planet now._ "  
  
"Acknowledged. I'll be right there." Picard stood up, walked out of his ready room and onto the bridge, where he was instantly greeted by an atmosphere of complete and utter apprehension. He knew that his crew was behind him and his decision to investigate - and yet they were all fully aware of the fact that he had chosen a rather dangerous path.  
  
Picard sat down in his chair. "Readings, Commander Mordock?"  
  
"No life forms, no vegetation, no water," the Benzite said. "Nothing but rocks and sand."  
  
"Is it a Class M planet?"  
  
"Yes, but just barely at this point. These readings indicate that something wiped out all life - and that it happened recently."  
  
"Something? What something?"  
  
Mordock shook his head. "Impossible to tell. It seems like various unrelated natural disasters happened all at once, which, of course, is impossible by our standards."  
  
"Not by _Q_ standards," Madden remarked.  
  
"Most likely not," Mordock agreed.  
  
"Is there anything unusual about the readings?" Picard pressed. "Even the slightest abnormality might be useful."  
  
"I've already used maximum - wait, there's a tiny spike in the energy readings, incredibly faint. It originates near something that once used to be a beach."  
  
Picard looked at his first officer. "I think you had better prepare an away team, Commander."

 

**********

 

"What do you mean, the Enterprise is on some kind of extra tour?" Alex' mother asked. "I have to make it to my transport back to Earth!"  
  
"I honestly can't say if you're going to," Alex replied. "I just came by to tell you. And now I have to go, my shift starts in an hour."  
  
"Wait, please."  
  
He sighed. "Mother, if you're going to yell at me again because of my choices when it comes to relationships, I really am not -"  
  
"I won't, I promise. Could you come in for moment? Please?"  
  
Alex frowned - she had not used this soft tone of voice in years. "Alright..."  
  
His mother waited for the door to close behind him and then pointed at the couch. "Please, sit down. Would you like some mint tea?"  
  
"No, thanks."  
  
She walked up to the couch with him and then sat down next to him. "I spoke to Grandma a little while ago. She said you'd written her a message in which you complained about my 'extremely erratic behavior', as she put it."  
  
"Mother, I -"  
  
"No, no, let me speak." She leaned forward. "She told me that you didn't want me to find out that you had written her a message, but you know how she is - she can't keep a secret for too long."

"I _should_ have known, yes," Alex muttered.  
  
His mother waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "It doesn't matter now. What _does_ matter is that she was quite upset - and that she told me it was time for you to know, and that if _I_ didn't tell you, _she_ would."  
  
Alex frowned. "Tell me what?"  
  
"There's something you need to know about your father."  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"The few things that I told you about him... well, not all of them were true." She stood up, walked up to the window and looked out. "Remember that I told you that your father was an unsuccessful painter who I just met for one night and only heard from again when I read that he was dead?"  
  
"Yes...?"  
  
"I made that up. I knew him pretty well, and he wasn't a painter either. He actually was a very young starship captain."  
  
Alex' jaw dropped. "What?!"  
  
"I met him while he was on shore leave on Earth, and we started a somewhat shaky and unstable relationship. I knew about his reputation as a ladies' man but I was even younger than he was and probably just as stupid. I thought I could change him, make him forget about all the other women who tempted him on a regular basis up there in space." She laughed bitterly. "I was _very_ naive."  
  
"He left you," Alex concluded.  
  
"He left me _pregnant_ ," his mother corrected. "I had been insane enough to actually arrange for it to happen. Our relationship had crumbled to dust a while ago already but I thought a baby would save it. Like I said, I was very naive."  
  
"What did he say when you told him about you being pregnant?"

"He said that he didn't care and that it was now really over between us because I had tricked him like this. He didn't want a family. He was young, he had just made it to the rank of captain, so, he wanted his freedom and his Starfleet career that, according to him, did not allow any unnecessary distractions. He arranged for you and me to live in the huge house you grew up in, but that was it. He never came to visit, never sent any messages and never asked about you. He simply continued his Starfleet captain's life as if we had never existed."  
  
"A starship captain," Alex whispered. "Is... is it even true that he is dead?"  
  
His mother turned away from the window and looked at him. "Yes, that much _is_ true. He was killed during the Dominion War. His ship was part of the Tenth Fleet that got overrun during the Battle of Betazed."

"What was his name?"

"William Jameson. His friends called him Bill."

"Jameson? As in _Admiral_ Jameson?"

"Admiral Mark Jameson was his father."

" _My_ grandfather, you mean."

She winced. "Yes. But I know for a fact that Bill never told his parents about you, so, they never knew they had a grandson."

Alex rubbed his hands. "This... this is... quite a lot to take..."

"I'm sorry. I should have told you all this years ago but I never had the strength." His mother walked back to the couch and sat down next to him. "Now you probably understand why I'm so worried about you dating a starship captain."  
  
"Yes, I understand." Alex looked up. "But still, Jean-Luc would _never_ act like my father did. He wouldn't just leave a pregnant woman behind, for one thing. He'd face his responsibilities."  
  
"Your father didn't seem to be the kind of man who does that either. His reputation _was_ bad, yes, but I never thought he'd actually leave us behind way he did."  
  
"Jean-Luc's reputation isn't bad in the first place," Alex said stubbornly. "He just isn't like that. He's... _different_ _._ In many regards _._ "

His mother briefly squeezed his hand. "You love him. I know."  
  
"Mother, please."  
  
She smiled. "And I know that he loves _you_ \- you both cringe in the same way when someone even _hints_ at this."  
  
Alex frowned. "But if you know all that, why are you so against the two of us?"  
  
"I just can't help it, my instinct takes over - because the last thing I want is for you to face a pain much like the one I went through." She sighed. "I've really been overreacting, haven't I?"  
  
"Well, a little."  
  
"No, a lot. I even yelled at your captain. And I walked out on him. Is he angry with me?"  
  
"He's not the kind of man who can't forgive."  
  
"Are _you_ angry with me?"  
  
"I was, but not anymore. I know now why you reacted the way you did."  
  
"No, I mean - are you angry with me for not telling you the entire truth about your father?"  
  
"What difference would it have made?" Alex muttered. "Either way, he didn't care about me. Somehow I think it would have been even worse if you had told me the truth from the start. I'm pretty sure I'd have tried to contact him at some point and he would most likely have refused to even talk to me."  
  
"Yes, he would. He never wanted to talk to _me_ either." His mother squeezed his hand again.  "Still, you're very gracious about this. Thank you."  
  
"It's one of the things you learn as bartender. We really don't have the luxury of carrying grudges for too long."  
  
"Speaking of which, there's another thing I haven't told you because I was too busy panicking."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"How proud I am of you. The bar on the Federation's flagship." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Well done, Alexander."

 

**********

 

Madden coughed and wiped dust from his face for at least the tenth time.  
  
"I don't understand what we're doing on this godforsaken beach," Burke complained behind him. "We've been walking around for two hours now. I have sand everywhere - and I _mean_ everywhere."  
  
"Oh for God's sake, Colin, you'll live," Madden snapped.  
  
"Commander Madden! Commander Burke! I think I found something!"  
  
The two men stopped, glanced at each other and then quickly walked over to Mordock, who had gone out to explore the now dry ocean floor.

"What is it?" Madden asked when they had caught up with him.  
  
"I think I found something," Mordock said and pointed at his tricorder. "It looks like faint life form readings, but what confuses me is that - whoa!"  
  
He never got to finish his sentence - as soon as Madden and Burke had stepped closer to take a look, the ground beneath them had given way and swallowed the three officers.


	8. Chapter 8

 

"Keep your hands where I can see them!" a loud voice thundered through Madden's head, waking him up.  
  
He opened his eyes and tried to move – and regretted it immediately. A searing pain shot through his right shoulder and he had a hard time not to cry out. He stopped his attempts at moving immediately, which made the pain return to a somewhat tolerable level, enabling him to concentrate his thoughts on the four-legged alien that was standing in front of Mordock and Burke only a few meters away, pointing one of their phasers at them.  
  
"I'm warning you! No tricks!"  
  
"Alright, alright - we get it," Burke said slowly. "Just let us take a look at our friend over there. He was probably injured during our fall through your ceiling."  
  
The alien pointed at Burke. "Very well. You go. And _you_ stay." A piercing gaze at Mordock. "What are you, anyway? Why are you so blue?"  
  
"I'm a Benzite. My species has blue skin. My name's Mordock. What's yours?"  
  
"Tikor," the alien huffed. "And it doesn't really matter what you are - to me Two-Legs all look the same anyway."  
  
"What do you mean, the same?" Mordock asked while Burke knelt down next to Madden. "Martin? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"  
  
"I don't think so," Madden whispered. "My shoulder... I must have fallen directly on it. I'm pretty certain it's thoroughly shattered."  
  
"I'd love to contact Pulaski but I'm afraid that little fellow over there has our -"  
  
"Hey, you!" Tikor called out. "No talking! And you, on the floor - get up!"  
  
Burke stood up slowly. "He can't. He's in no condition to even _move_."  
  
"You're lying. Your species can't be hurt."  
  
"What do you mean? We're made of flesh and blood, like you!"  
  
"I've seen otherwise," Tikor shot back. "One of you destroyed all life on this world."  
  
"That's impossible. We've never been to this planet - until about a few hours ago we didn't even know where it was."  
  
"One of you Two-Legs appeared on this world a few weeks ago," Tikor said stubbornly. "At first we thought he was strange-looking but harmless. And then he destroyed everything. And every _one_ , too. And now he sent _you_ to finish his work because I was lucky enough to hide before he did what he did."  
  
"I'm telling you, we aren't responsible for anything that happened here," Burke repeated. "Besides, has it ever occurred to you that the one who did this to you and your people might have tricked you into _thinking_ he was human?"  
  
The Hassavuth stared at him. "What?"  
  
"Listen, Tikor - there's no need for any of this. We can take you with us, and -"  
  
The alien tensed visibly. " _You_ won't take me anywhere."  
  
"Fine. Then let _him_ go at least," Burke said and pointed at Madden. "He's no use to you anyway right now."  
  
"He stays where he is."  
  
"It's alright, I'll manage," Madden muttered. "Show him the picture of Q, Commander."  
  
"What picture? Who's Q?"  
  
"I have a picture in my pocket," Burke said. "Is it alright if I pull it out?"  
  
Tikor pointed the phaser at Burke's head. "Do it. But slowly."  
  
Burke did as he was told and then handed the holo-picture over to the alien. "Is this the man who did this to your planet?"  
  
Tikor glanced at it and then quickly handed it back to Burke. "No. That's not him."  
  
"Could you draw us a picture of him?" Mordock asked.  
  
"Why would I?" Tikor shot back. "One of you might just as well be him in disguise."  
  
"No, we're from a starship called Enterprise, and we've been sent to look for the man who did all this to you. And Commander Burke is right - we can take you with us. You will be safe."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," Tikor repeated. "This cavern is my home. I live here."  
  
"You will _starve_ here," Mordock corrected.  
  
Burke took a deep breath. "Look, this is all quite pointless. You can't hold us at gunpoint forever, and our shipmates are going to come looking for us if we don't report in soon. There will be a lot more of us for you to deal with, and I don't think you want that, right?"  
  
Tikor looked at him. "No."  
  
"Then let me make a proposal that will benefit all of us. You draw us the picture of the man responsible and in return my blue friend here and I will help you fix your cavern ceiling. And then, if you want us to, we'll all be on our way, never to disturb you again."  
  
The alien said nothing for a few seconds - and then he nodded.

 

**********

 

 

Picard looked once more at the drawing that Tikor had made. He liked it less and less the more he looked at it, and yet there was absolutely no doubt to the man's identity; the last surviving Hassavuth had drawn a downright perfect image.  
  
He focused his gaze on Burke and Mordock, who were sitting in front of his ready room desk. "How is Commander Madden?"  
  
"It will take him a few days to recover," Mordock replied. "His shoulder is broken in all possible places. Dr. Pulaski says she can fix only one spot at a time."  
  
"At least he only broke his _shoulder_ ," Burke remarked. "It could have been much worse. The cavern ceiling was pretty high, it was quite a fall. And the inhabitant wasn't very eager to provide medical help."  
  
"Well, at least he drew the picture for us," Picard said. "Still, his story simply doesn't add up. I find it very, very hard to believe that one single being could survive all the devastating events just because he lived in an underground cavern that could only be accessed from underwater. Something like that doesn't stop a Q."  
  
"What if he _is_ the Q who did it and who is now trying to deceive us?" Mordock suggested.  
  
"No, that would be too suspicious at this point. Besides, to them, this matter is closed until evidence to the contrary is brought up."  
  
"What makes you so sure they'll accept this as evidence?" Burke asked. "It's just a drawing."  
  
"Yes, but it's a drawing that has the power to shake up that entire court in a matter of seconds. They'll _have_ to accept it, and if not, I will have to convince them to do so."  
  
"No need," a voice suddenly came from the couch. The officers turned around in their chairs and found themselves looking at Q Junior. "I've already arranged for another hearing. You've done well. For a human."  
  
"What do you m-"  
  
A bright flash and Picard found himself standing in the courtroom again, facing the same judge and, as far as he could tell, the same audience.  
  
"Q!" the judge barked. "Where is this useless evidence that you speak of? Bring it to me! And what is that human doing here again?"  
  
"He acquired the evidence. And I will not bring it to you. It will be seen openly in court."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because what it shows might render this entire court meaningless. Q law demands an open display of evidence in cases like this."  
  
The judge glared at the young Q and then at Picard. "Alright. Present it, human."  
  
"What if he alters it?" Picard whispered to Q Junior.  
  
"He can't, not as long as _you_ are holding it. Now, go on."  
  
"Alright." Picard cleared his throat and then turned towards the judge. "The evidence, Your Honor, is a drawing made by the last survivor of the Hassavuth race."  
  
The audience began to whisper among themselves.  
  
"Silence!" the judge roared. "That can't be - there _were_ no survivors!"  
  
"There was one," Picard replied. "And he made this drawing of the Q who did all this to his planet."  
  
Picard held up the drawing and the audience let out a collective gasp when they saw it - because it showed none other than the Honorable Judge.  
  
"A forgery!" the judge roared and stared at Q Junior with nothing but utter panic on his face. " _You_ made this!"  
  
"It is _not_ a forgery!" another voice suddenly chimed in and all heads turned towards the court room door where it had come from.

A man was standing there whose features were very familiar to Picard, and the captain gaped at him in utter disbelief as he walked in, his footsteps echoing loudly on the marble floor.  
  
"What gives _you_ the right to interfere?" the judge spat. "Our species have not spoken to another in eons!"  
  
"I think it's time we start again," the gray-haired man said and took his place next to Picard. "The Q Continuum has become a victim of its own arrogance in more than one regard. You didn't even realize that I was on the planet whose inhabitants you destroyed. And there's more." He pointed at Picard. "This human here managed to be more thorough and intelligent than every single one of you. I'm not surprised - he once managed to get through my disguise, something that no one before him had ever accomplished. And I'm certain that, given enough time, he would have recognized me again. You should _not_ have underestimated him."  
  
"You mean... _you_ are Tikor?" Picard asked, stunned.  
  
The man nodded. "I preferred the name Kevin Uxbridge, but Tikor did quite well for quite a while, too."


	9. Chapter 9

 

"Why didn't you come forward sooner?" Picard asked and sat down on his chair behind his ready room desk. "You could have appeared in front of that judge before they even convicted Q, preventing the whole thing. You knew who really was responsible."

Uxbridge leaned back in his chair. "I was afraid to involve myself too much. It felt like Rana IV all over again, only this time I was _really_ unable to prevent what was happening. My powers are not above those of the Q. I wouldn't have stood a chance."  
  
"What made you change your mind?"

"Your officers did when they told me what had happened to this Q friend of yours. I know what it's like to have a genocide on one's conscience, but to be thrown into eternal prison for one while actually being innocent is even worse." He looked up. "I also knew that my disguise was rendered useless, because, despite your officer's words, you would most likely have come back since my story didn't make a lot of sense."

"Most likely, yes. But what really matters is that you chose to help in the end. According to Q Junior, that judge is going to have to answer for what he has done - not only the Hassavuth genocide but also all the other incidents that took place before that."  
  
"Will they throw _him_ into that eternal prison now?"  
  
"Q Junior wasn't sure. He's still a judge, after all," Picard replied and crossed his legs. "What will you do now?"  
  
"I will look for another planet to settle down on. Rana IV became empty to me after a while as well, and not just in the literal sense." Uxbridge stood up. "Thank you for your hospitality, Captain. I have to go now - someone else wants to talk to you."  
  
Picard frowned. "Wha-"  
  
A bright flash interrupted him and Q was standing right in front of the desk, a bouquet of red roses in his hands. "Jean-Luc!"  
  
Uxbridge nodded at Picard. "Goodbye, Captain."  
  
With that, he was gone.  
  
Q glanced at the empty spot where Uxbrigde had been standing. "You know, the only quality I've always admired about the Douwd is that they know when to leave."  
  
Picard stood up. "Q..."

The entity smiled broadly and offered Picard the flowers. "Don't tell me I shouldn't have."  
  
Picard took them and sighed. "Q..."  
  
"No, no. You deserve them. You got me out of that prison. Another few millennia in there and I would have gone mad." His face became serious. "I owe you, mon capitaine."  
  
"Q, no."

"Q _yes_ ," the entity retorted. "I _will_ thank you properly, but not now - what I have in mind has to wait a few more years. But, rest assured, the way in which I'm thinking about repaying this debt will… what is the human expression? Knock your socks off?"  
  
"That is not necessary," Picard assured him quickly - the mere idea of Q 'repaying' things sounded more terrifying than anything he had ever heard. "I would have done this for anyone."

"No, you wouldn't. You risked angering your superiors. You risked your command. You risked alienating your precious crew. You basically risked everything your little mortal Starfleet captain's mind holds dear – just for me. I won't forget that."  
  
"Q, really, it would help me enough if you could just convince Starfleet Command to drop any kind of investig–"  
  
"I've already done that - how incompetent do you think I am? They don't know that the Enterprise went to the Hassavuth planet, and they won't learn of it unless you choose to tell them. You _did_ notice that I turned what you call time back one day as well, yes?"  
  
"Of course I noticed - how incompetent do you think I am?" Picard shot back. "What I'm trying to tell you is that it is _not_ necessary for you to repay anything, and I would be grateful if -"

"Ah, come on, you just hate my surprises," Q beamed. "And I would be really offended by this if I wasn't in such a good mood."  
  
"No offense was intended," Picard said tonelessly.  
  
Q grinned. "As pleasant as our conversation has been, Jean-Luc, I really have to go now. But don't think for a second that I will forget about my debt."  
  
He smiled once more at Picard – and then he vanished.

 

**********

 

"I'm really glad we had so much extra time to talk about everything yesterday," Alex' mother said and put her suitcase on the transporter pad next to her.  
  
"As am I," Picard replied.  
  
"Agreed," Alex chimed in.  
  
"And I'm also really glad that I'll be on my way home in time after all. Thank this Q fellow for me, will you?"  
  
"Will do," Alex said quickly. "I'm sure he will appear again sooner or later."  
  
"I hope _not_ ," Picard muttered.  
  
Alex smiled at him.  
  
Picard returned the gaze and could not help but smile back – at least a little.  
  
"You two are really made for one another," Alex' mother remarked.  
  
Alex winced. "Mother, please."  
  
She raised her hands. "Alright, alright, I'll keep my mouth shut. Take care of yourself, you two. And please, write a letter every now and then, yes, son?"  
  
"I will."  
  
"Goodbye, then."  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
Picard turned towards the transporter chief. "Energize."  
  
The transporter hummed to life and Alex' mother vanished in its sparkling beam.

 

***********

 

"Would you like some more mint tea, Alexander?"  
  
No reply.  
  
"Alexander...?"  
  
The young bartender tensed briefly and then turned his head. "Wh-what?"  
  
"I asked you if you would like some more mint tea," Picard repeated and pointed at the replicator next to which he was standing.  
  
"Oh. Sorry. No, thanks."  
  
Picard took his cup of Earl Grey, walked back to the couch and sat down next to his lover. "You seem distracted tonight."

"I'm still thinking about what my mother told me. About who my father was and all."  
  
Picard nodded slowly. "I understand. Something like this can be quite a shock."  
  
"An even bigger shock was the one I got when you reminded me of the fact that you were there when my grandfather died. _And_ that you were also the one who took my grandmother's body to Mordan IV a few years after that."  
  
"It had been her last wish. I don't know why she chose the Enterprise-D but somehow it seemed fitting." Picard took a sip of tea and then put his cup on the table. "As for your grandfather... despite his rather drastic and selfish actions that cost him his life in the end, he was still an honorable and well-respected officer. Just as your father was. Granted, I never met _him_ in person but from what I knew of him he was a good starship captain."  
  
"Not always a good _person_ though," Alex remarked.  
  
"Probably not, no."  
  
"I'm just wondering, you know? What if I had known about him while he was still alive? What if I had contacted him and he had chosen to talk to me after all? What would my life be like now? Would I have wanted to follow in his footsteps?"  
  
"That would have broken your mother's heart," Picard remarked gently. "She already has a very hard time coping with you being here in space as a bartender. Imagine what you choosing to become a _Starfleet officer_ would have done to her."  
  
"True," Alex sighed. "It's just going to take me a little while to come to terms with all this."  
  
Picard put his hand on his lover's shoulder. "If you want, we can visit your grandparents' grave next time we're near Mordan IV."  
  
"I'd like that." Alex gently squeezed the hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."


End file.
